Hundreds of seabirds stranded in southern Arizona after Tropical Storm Newton

Hundreds of storm petrels have been swept up by the strong winds of Tropical Storm Newton, leaving the small seabirds stranded in southern Arizona.

BY MATT FAYE

Sep 12, 2016, 1:42 PM Updated: Sep 14, 2016, 2:25 pm

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(Photo courtesy of Tucson Wildlife Center)

PHOENIX –Hundreds of seabirds have been left stranded in southern Arizona following Tropical Storm Newton, which brought heavy rains to portions of the state last week.

In a Facebook post, the Tucson Wildlife Center said storm petrels, a dark-colored bird about the size and shape of a small swallow, have been spotted in the desert. The strong winds from the former hurricane swept up hundreds of the seabirds, leaving them in a possibly fatal environment.

“These guys are pelagic ocean birds from the Sea of Cortez,” Tucson Wildlife Center Co-Founder Lisa Bates said in the post. “They won’t survive in the desert or in fresh water, so it is imperative people get them to us so we can stabilize them and transport them to a California bird rescue.”

Anyone who finds a storm petrel or any other seabird is advised to put it in a cardboard box lined with a soft T-shirt or cloth, and bring it to Tucson Wildlife Center immediately. The bird should not be given food or water under any circumstances.

People should be cautious around the birds.

“If it is a larger bird, beware that they bite and have very sharp edges to their beak and hooks on the end that can do real damage,” said Pat Latas, Tucson Wildlife Center’s veterinarian. “For those larger birds, wrap them, burrito-like and place them in the covered box while transporting them to Tucson Wildlife Center as soon as possible.”

For more information on storm petrels, or how to help other injured wildlife, call Tucson Wildlife Center at 520-290-9453 or visit its website.